Chemistry of Gold(III) with a Pyridine‐Oxaziridine Ligand: Competition between C−O and N−O bond Activation

Abstract

The oxaziridine derivative 2‐t‐butyl‐3‐(2‐pyridinyl)oxaziridine reacted with Na[AuCl4].2H2O to give, after recrystallization from a solvent mixture containing methanol, a mixture of gold(III) complexes which were characterized crystallographically as the amide complex [AuCl2{κ2‐N,N’‐2‐C5H4NC(=O)N(t‐Bu)] and the aldolate complex [AuCl2{κ2‐N,O‐2‐C5H4NCH(OMe)O)]. It is suggested that these products arise after initial O−N or C−N bond cleavage respectively of the strained oxaziridine ring, after coordination to the gold(III) center. Monitoring of reactions by NMR spectroscopy showed that O−N bond cleavage of the oxaziridine ring was favoured in the presence of a protic solvent.